Study Reveals Why Many Young People Are Ageing Faster Today
A recent study has revealed that today’s younger generation is experiencing faster biological ageing than previous generations. The findings are considered helpful in explaining the increasing number of cancer cases in people under the age of 50, which has become a focus for researchers in various countries.
According to Euro News, the study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that people born between 1965 and 1974 had an older biological age compared to those born between 1950 and 1954, even though their chronological age was younger.
Researchers also found a similar pattern in the generation born between 1990 and 1999. This group showed a higher rate of biological ageing compared to those born between 1965 and 1969.
“Our findings suggest that some young adults appear to be experiencing biological changes earlier than expected, and this could be linked to the rising cancer rates seen in younger generations,” Yin Cao, professor of surgery and medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and one of the study’s authors, told Oncology Central.
Although cancer is generally considered a disease of old age, early-onset cancers have been increasing over the past three decades. The number of people under 50 newly diagnosed with cancer has risen by 79 per cent globally since 1990, according to a report in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Cancer rates in children have also surged, with an estimated 13,800 children and adolescents diagnosed across 27 EU member states in 2022, according to the European Cancer Information System (ECIS).
The reasons behind this trend continue to puzzle experts. Many previous studies have cited ultra-processed foods, alcohol, obesity, smoking, and exposure to microplastics as potential causes and risk factors for cancer. However, the researchers stressed that the link between biological ageing and cancer remains an association and does not yet prove a direct causal relationship. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms.